Identification cards

ABSTRACT

Identification cards including I. D. credit cards comprising a sheet material bearing a photographic image pattern preferably prepared by diffusion transfer processes. A portion of the photographic image pattern provides a security feature and comprises a partial or imcomplete portion of a predetermined validation pattern. The predetermined validation pattern becomes apparent when another medium containing the residual portion of the validation pattern is superposed on the partial pattern which is part of the photographic information stored on the information-bearing surface.

United States Patent [191 McVo'y et al.

1 llDENTIFICATlON CARDS [75] Inventors: Robert A. McVoy, Melrose; RonaldR. OConnor, Bedford, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge,

Mass.

[22] Filed: May 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 249,532

[52] US. Cl. 283/7, 40/22 [51] Int. Cl B42d 15/00 [58] Field of Search40/22; 283/6-9; 35/2 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,417,163 3/1947 Horst 35/2 2,984,030 5/1961 Hannon 40/22 1 -Aug.6, 19743,279,095 10/1966 Carlson 35/2 3,614,839 10/1971 Thomas ..40/2.2

Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John P.Morley 5 7] ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures IDENTIFICATION CARDSTHE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to identification cards. More precisely, the inventiondisclosed herein relates to identification cards containing photographicinformation wherein a novel security feature, e.g., a verificationcapability is integrated with the photographic information.

2. Description of the Prior Art Identification cards including I. D.credit cards have become an integral part of modern society and theirperformance characteristics are well defined. In addi tion to beingdurable under conditions of handling as well as compact, such cards mustalso contain relevant information pertaining to bearer and issuer andoftentimes additional indicia for recording any transactions conductedwith the card all integrated in a secure fashion to discourage tamperingor alteration. Another requisite feature of such cards is that theinformation contained thereon must provide a high degree of assurancethat the person bearing or presenting the card is the person to whom thecard was actually issued and that the card was validly issued by theactual issuer thereof. A photograph of the bearer preferably in colorusually together with a reproduction of the bearers signature areconsidered to be the best means for assuring that the bearer of the cardis the one to whom it was actually issued. However, other means areoftentimes relied on to provide additional assurance that the card wasvalidly issued, e.g., not a counterfeit or has not been tampered with oraltered. Such auxiliary security or validation means can be conspicuousor inconspicuous on the card and such means have included polarizedstrips, water marks, fluorescent materials and the like. However, manyof the security or verification means employed heretofore are expensiveor add to the expense of the final identification card containing thembecause special steps or manipulations are required to install suchmeans in the cards. In accordance with the present invention,identification cards are presented which provide novel security orverification means which can be integrated with such cards simply,inexpensively with a minimum of inconvenience and without anysubstantial alteration of attendent hardware employed in producing suchcards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The identification cards or I. D. credit cardsof the present invention comprise a surface bearing photographicinformation a portion of which photographic information comprises apartial or incomplete pattern of a predetermined validation pattern. Thecomplete validation pattern can be rendered apparent by viewing thepartial pattern on the information-bearing surface through a superposedmedium comprising the residual portion of the validation pattern.Especially preferred cards of the present invention are those whereinthe photographic information is provided by way of diffusion transferphotographic processes and the partial or incomplete pattern of thepredetermined validation pattern is included in such photographicinformation by simultaneously exposing the partial pattern with thesubject information to be provided on the informationbearing surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS illustrates a partial or incompleteportion of a predetermined validation pattern.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a laminar assembly designed toaccommodate the medium of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional, diagrammatic view of a laminar structure of a l.D. card prepared in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 is a plane view of a verification medium which is superposed onthe surface of FIG. 1 to render a predetermined validation patternvisible or apparent.

FIG. 5 is a plane view of the verification medium of FIG. 4 superposedon the surface of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A typical information-bearingmedium 18 useful in the preparation of identification cards and/or I. D.credit cards'of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Traditionally,such media include a photograph of the intended bearer and any otherdesired descriptive information pertaining to the bearer. In theidentification cards of the present invention, the photographicinformation on the card additionally comprises an incomplete or partialpattern of a predetermined validation pattern shown as section 30 ofmedium 18. For reasons which will be explained later, at least a portionof section 30 is associated with other indicia on the card. For example,as shown, a portion of section 30 is associated with the indiciarelating to the bearer which appears on medium 18.

One particularly useful and especially preferred system for preparingcard 18 utilizes the principles of photography known as diffusiontransfer. In such photographic systems either a black-and-white or acolor print may be obtained, depending upon the particular photographicprocedures employed.

Black-and-white images may be obtained in accordance with the silvertransfer procedures described and claimed, for example, in US. Pat. Nos.2,543,181 and 2,647,056 issued to Edwin H. Land. As is described andclaimed in these patents, an exposed light-sensitive silver halideemulsion containing a developable image is developed with an aqueousalkaline processing composition including a silver halide developingagent and a silver halide solvent; as a function of development animagewise distribution of a soluble silver complex is formed in terms ofunexposed areas of the emulsion; and this imagewise distribution is thentransferred, at least in part, by imbibition, to a superposed silverreceptive stratum where it is reduced to impart thereto a positivesilver transfer image.

Color transfer images may be obtained in accordance with the proceduresdescribed and claimed, for example, in U. S. Pat. No. 2,983,606, issuedto Howard G. Rogers. As is disclosed in this patent a photosensitiveelement including one or more light-sensitive silver halide emulsionseach having associated therewith a dye developer (a dye which is also asilver halide developing agent), is exposed and developed with anaqueous alkaline processing composition; as a function of development animagewise distribution of diffusible dye is formed; and this imagewisedistribution is then transferred at least in part by imbibition to asuperposed dyeable stratum to impart thereto a positive dye transferimage.

In a particularly suitable system for preparing card 18 utilizing one ofthe aforementioned diffusion transfer processes, a data card containingthe desired descriptive information and a copy of the partial pattern ofthe predetermined validation pattern are integrated with the camera sothat the subject and the descriptive matter pertaining to him as well asthe partial pattern are all simultaneously photographed to provide asingle developable image which is thereafter processed to provide atransfer print comprising a suitable support having thereon animage-bearing layer containing an image of the subject at one portionthereof and the descriptive matter and partial pattern at anotherportion thereof, e.g., a photographic print such as is shown in FIG. 1.The aforementioned procedure for preparing the photograph may beaccomplished most expeditiously with Polaroid ID-2 or Polaroid ID-3 LandIdentification Systems.

In the above mentioned Polaroid I. D. 2 and Polaroid I. D. 3 LandIdentification Systems, the camera is designed to form juxtaposed imageson a photosensitive sheet. Each of the subjects, e.g., the intendedbearer and the data card, is located in the field of a separate lenssystems. The lens systems have coincident focal planes such thatnegative photographic film placed at the coincident focal planes isproperly positioned for receiving images from each of the lens systems.Normally in identification cards or I. D. credit cards it is desirableto provide a validation signature thereon. In such I. D. systems thishas been done by positioning a validation signature plate in the focalplane of the optical system so that when the film is exposed, thesignature will intercept portions of the image to thereby impose thesignature and other information on the photographic negative. In thepreferred practice of the present invention the partial pattern of thepreselected validation pattern can be included on the signaturevalidation plate and arranged thereon so that the partial pattern can beobtained in whatever desired section of medium 18.

The medium 18 of FIG. 1 is normally protected by a laminar assembly toprovide the final identification card or I. D. credit card. A suitablepreformed laminar assembly employed for this purpose is shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, a preformed product 1 is provided comprising a frontsheet 14 and a back sheet laminated or otherwise secured together alongone edge 16. The two sheets are preferably but not necessarily of thesame dimensions and configuration so as not to overlap when placed insuperposition. Sheet 14 is substantially transparent and, may, forexample, be made of a rigid or semirigid plastic such as celluloseacetate butyrate, polyvinyl chloride, a polymerized polyethylene glycolester, e.g., Mylar (trademark of E. I. duPont, deNemours & Co. for apolyethylene glycol ester of terephthalic acid), etc. Back sheet 10 maybe made of the same or a different material and, while it may also betransparent, it is preferably opaque, e.g., white, both for maskingpurposes and to provide the requisite background for the particulardesign and other information appearing thereon and which will bedescribed with more particularity hereinafter.

In the particular form shown in FIG. 2, inner surface 10a of sheet 10 isprovided with a conventional pressure-sensitive adhesive coating. Aconventional release sheet 12, which may be made of glassine,polyethylenecoated paper, etc. is provided over this adhesive coating toprevent premature or unwanted adhesion of sheets 10 and 14. Releasesheet 12, which is readily strippable from the coating on layer 10a, isshown to cover substantially all of the surface area of layer 10a notshown to be secured to sheet 14.

The assembly shown in FIG. 2 and described so far may be prepared bycoating substantially the entire surface 10a with the pressure-sensitiveadhesive, then applying the release sheet 12 thereon, sheet 12 being ofslightly smaller width to leave coated edge 16 of layer 10a exposed.When sheet 14 is then placed in superposition and suitable pressurebrought to bear, sheets 10 and 14 are then sealed together along thisedge as shown.

The rear of the outer surface sheet 10 can contain or be adapted tocontain additional information or data. For example, if the preparationof an I. D. credit card is contemplated, the rear surface can containthe name and a particular design-preferably in colorof the issuer inaddition to an embossed serial number and any other desired informationpertaining to the bearer and which may be employed in known manners forbilling of charge purchases or other bookkeeping matters.

In a typical procedure of the present invention, the issuer is providedwith a plurality of assemblies of the type shown in FIG. 2 containingits characteristic identifying design on surface 10b but not yetembossed with the identifying matter pertaining to the individualbearer.

In the preparation of the final identification card or I. D. creditcard, release sheet 12 is removed and medium 18 is then placed betweensheets 12 and 14 with the image-bearing surface of the card up or injuxtaposition with sheet 14. The resulting lamination may then besecurely sealed by applying a suitable pressure, e. g., by passing thesandwich between a pair of pressure rollers.

In the preferred system, the inner surface of front sheet 14 is providedwith a water-activated adhesive, e.g., polyvinyl alcohol. The medium 18is inserted while moist and upon contact the moisture from the printactivates the adhesive layer so that the surface of the medium 18 issecurely laminated to the inner surface of sheet 14. To accomplish thedesired moistening, the medium may be inserted while still slightly dampfrom processing or it may be moistened after processing but beforeinsertion if desired. In the lamination just described, it will beappreciated that the support or rear surface of medium 18 is secured toinner surface 10a of the back sheet by means of the adhesive coating.

In a preferred embodiment the length and width of sheets 12 and 14 arepredetermined to be slightly greater than the length and width of medium18. In this manner not only is the medium itself tightly secured, theperiphery of sheets 10 and 14 overlapping the dimensions of the mediumare also tightly secured to one another to provide a composite laminarstructure as shown in FIG. 3.

While reference has been made to the use of pressure-activated adhesivesand water-activated adhesives, it will be appreciated that other typesof adhesive, e.g., any of the known heat-activated polyester adhesives,hot melt adhesives, etc. may be employed in lieu thereof.

A verification medium 40 of FIG. 4 is used in verifying theidentification cards or I. D. credit cards prepared as described aboveand having a partial pattern of a predetermined validation pattern aspart of the photographic information on the card. Essentially suchverification media comprise a pellucid sheet material, e.g., atransparent or translucent sheet material having on a portion thereof30a the residual portion of the predetermined verification pattern.Accordingly by superposing section 30a of verification medium 40 onsection 30 of medium 18 the complete predetermined verification patternbecomes apparent as shown in FIG. 5. Registry means are usually includedin verification media employed in the practice of the present invention.For example, as shown in FIG. 4, cross marks 32a can be alligned withcross marks 32 of medium 18 to aid in quick, effective alignment ofsections 30 and 30a to provide readout of the complete predeterminedvalidation pattern as shown in FIG. 5. Obviously, possession ofverification media employed in the practice of the present inventionshould be severly restricted to authorized personnel.

The complete validation pattern as shown in FIG. 5 comprises arepetitive arrangement of the word valid. The particular validationpattern selected can vary and can include designs as well asarrangements of words or numbers for example. The selected pattern,however, should be capable of being broken into at least two partialpatterns so that the partial patterns alone do not suggest or otherwiserender the complete predetermined pattern apparent. In other words, eachpartial patterns should represent a random disassociation of thecomplete pattern which is preferably complicated so that any attempt todetermine the complete pattern without the other partial pattern(s)would present a problem having a high probability of failure and- /orrequire specialized efforts. For example, the partial pattern shown insection 30 of medium 18 is designed to appear as hens Scratchings andeach mark has been deliberately arranged so that the partial patternwill not even remotely suggest the complete pattern shown in FIG. 5.Computors and/or the ingenuity of cryptologists can be employed torandomly scramble or disassociate predetermined validation patterns intopartial patterns of lines, dots or curves which alone would make adetermination of the complete pattern extremely difficult and/or timeconsuming thereby discouraging attempts to defeat such a verificationfeature.

As mentioned before, the preferred identification cards and I. D. creditcards of the present invention are those wherein the partial pattern ofthe predetermined validation pattern is associated with other indicia onthe medium since the association of the partial pattern with indiciadiscourages attempts to reproduce the pattern. For example, in order tomass produce counterfeit identification cards of the present invention aplate containing the partial pattern would be required for use in theequipment of an I. D. identification system. One way of producing such aplate could involve photographing the partial pattern of anidentification card and transferring the pattern to a plate which couldbe integrated with the lens system of an ID. camera to provide an imageof the partial pattern on the counterfeit card. However, because thepartial pattern is associated with other indicia, portions of thepattern will be obscured or obliterated and accordingly a photograph ofthe partial pattern will not provide all the individual marks of thepattern. The association of the partial pattern with some indicia whichappears on all the identification cards, e.g., the name of the issuerand with some indicia which varies from card to card, e.g., indiciarelating to the bearer can further complicate and discourage attempts toreproduce all the individual marks of the pattern.

From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the identificationcards or I. D. credit cards of the present invention provide adistinctive verification feature which can be integrated with such cardsin a simple, inexpensive, fashion with a minimum of inconvenience andwithout extensive modification or alteration of existing systems andtechniques and equipment related thereto. Moreover, the feature issufficiently sophisticated to require highly specialized considerationsand efforts in order to avoid the feature. Accordingly, the presentinvention provides a simple, inexpensive and surprisingly effecientsolution to a problem long outstanding in the art; that of continuallyimproving the credibility and reliability of identification cards and I.D. credit cards.

Various modifications of incidental features offered in the abovedescription offered for the purposes of illustrating the invention maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventiondefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an identification card comprising a sheet material having aninformation-bearing layer containing photographic information on atleast a portion thereof, the improvement wherein said photographicinformation comprises a partial pattern of a preselected validationpattern associated with other indicia on said information-bearing layer,said pattern being integrated with said card so as to provide thepreselected validation pattern when a second partial pattern providingthe residual portions of said preselected validation pattern is placedin superposition with said first mentioned partial validation pattern.

2. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia associated withsaid partial validation pattern is indicia which normally varies fromcard to card.

3. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein said photographic information isprovided on said informationbearing surface by diffusion transferphotography.

4. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein said photographic information isa multicolor image pattern.

5. A laminar identification card or I. D. credit card comprising atransparent front sheet having inner and outer surfaces, a card havingan information-bearing surface and a rear surface wherein saidinformationbearing surface comprises photographic information some ofwhich comprises a partial pattern of a preselected validation patternwhich is associated with other indicia, the dimensions of said cardbeing less than those of said transparent front sheet, leaving aperipheral area of said front sheet free from contact with said card, aback sheet of substantially the same dimensions as said transparentsheet and having inner and outer surfaces, the rear surfaces of saidcard being sealed to the inner surface of said back sheet leaving aperipheral area of said back sheet free from contact with said card, theopposed peripheral areas of said front and back sheets being sealedtogether to complete said lamgraphic information is provided on saidinformationination, the outer surface of said back sheet comprisingbearing Surface by diff i t f photography an mformanon'bearmg Surface 8.A card as defined in claim 5 wherein said photo- 6. A card as defined inclaim 5 wherein said indicia f I t associated with said partialvalidation pattern is indicia 5 grap m Ormanon compnses a mu or Image pawhich normally varies from card to card.

7. A card as defined in claim wherein said photo-

1. In an identification card comprising a sheet material having aninformation-bearing layer containing photographic information on atleast a portion thereof, the improvement wherein said photographicinformation comprises a partial pattern of a preselected validationpattern associated with other Indicia on said information-bearing layer,said pattern being integrated with said card so as to provide thepreselected validation pattern when a second partial pattern providingthe residual portions of said preselected validation pattern is placedin superposition with said first mentioned partial validation pattern.2. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia associated withsaid partial validation pattern is indicia which normally varies fromcard to card.
 3. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein said photographicinformation is provided on said information-bearing surface by diffusiontransfer photography.
 4. A card as defined in claim 1 wherein saidphotographic information is a multicolor image pattern.
 5. A laminaridentification card or I. D. credit card comprising a transparent frontsheet having inner and outer surfaces, a card having aninformation-bearing surface and a rear surface wherein saidinformation-bearing surface comprises photographic information some ofwhich comprises a partial pattern of a preselected validation patternwhich is associated with other indicia, the dimensions of said cardbeing less than those of said transparent front sheet, leaving aperipheral area of said front sheet free from contact with said card, aback sheet of substantially the same dimensions as said transparentsheet and having inner and outer surfaces, the rear surfaces of saidcard being sealed to the inner surface of said back sheet leaving aperipheral area of said back sheet free from contact with said card, theopposed peripheral areas of said front and back sheets being sealedtogether to complete said lamination, the outer surface of said backsheet comprising an information-bearing surface.
 6. A card as defined inclaim 5 wherein said indicia associated with said partial validationpattern is indicia which normally varies from card to card.
 7. A card asdefined in claim 5 wherein said photographic information is provided onsaid information-bearing surface by diffusion transfer photography.
 8. Acard as defined in claim 5 wherein said photographic informationcomprises a multicolor image pattern.